News and Events

FUIO Newsletter Issue #12- The Summer Solstice 2015 issue of the Friends of the Observatory Newsletter is published! The latest issue includes:

Keeping the Art of Amateur Astronomy Alive - The
University
of
Illinois
Astronomical Society provides great opportunities for the new members toreally start seeing the night skies.

Feasibility Study Update - Brush Architects has completed the first
phase of the assessment of the Astronomical Observatory.

Prairie Skies - Why build observatories in the cloudy flat Midwest?

FUIO Newsletter Issue #11- The Spring Equinox 2015 issue of the Friends of the Observatory Newsletter is published! The latest issue includes:

Portal to the Heritage of Astronomy - The
University
of
Illinois
Observatory
has
been
included
as a
short case
study
on
the
Portal
to
the
Heritage
of
Astronomy.

ESPN Spotlight - The
Observatory
enjoyed
30
seconds
of
ESPN2
fame
during
the
November
22, 2014 Illinois-Penn
State
football
game.

The Observatory’s Role - An essay on the purpose of the historic Observatory on today's modern campus by alumnus Ronald Schorn (PhD 1963).

FUIO Newsletter Issue #10 - The Winter Solstice 2014 issue of the Friends of the Observatory Newsletter is published! The latest issue includes:

Homecoming 2014 – Clear skies and a victory! - The third annual Homecoming Friends open
house once again featured clear skies and
several hundred visitors.

Board Meeting - During Homecoming the Board gathered for its annual
meeting at the Astronomy Department Building.

Why this place matters . . . - This fall, Friend and alumnus F. Samuel Bauer, class
of 1965, returned for the first time in 49 years.

FUIO Newsletter Issue #9 - The Fall Equinox 2014 issue of the Friends of the Observatory Newsletter is published! The latest issue includes:

UIAS Founding - Marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of UIAS, an interview with C.B.G. Campbell, the Society's first president.

The First Observatory - The first observatory was opened in 1872.

Star of the Week - Jim Kaler has published over 100 books and papers on stars. He maintains a website which features a different star every week.

FUIO Newsletter Issue #8- The Summer Solstice 2014 issue of the Friends of the Observatory Newsletter is published. Since the last newsletter we
continue progressing toward
our goal of $20,000. Thus far
we are over 75% of the way
there! Thank you for your
continued support. The latest issue includes:

Teaching Excellence - Constructed as a teaching facility, the Observatory
continues in its original mission.

UIAS Anniversary - The UIAS and the Observatory’s histories over the last 6
decades are intertwined.

VRO Log Cabin - The Vermillion River Observatory’s 400-foot cylindrical radio telescope was dedicated in
the fall of 1962. The UIAS played an earthy role in the construction of that unusual celestial telescope.

FUIO Newsletter Issue #7- The Spring Equinox 2014 issue of the Friends of the Observatory Newsletter is published! The latest issue includes:

60 Years & Counting - The Astronomical Society at the
University of Illinois is celebrating its
60th anniversary this year.

The skies through the Equatorial - UIAS members have a passion for
capturing the night sky through the 12-inch.

The Order of
Klinkerfuess - This
award dates back to the earliest days of the UIAS.

Renovation Potential - Architecture students completed a
Historic Structures Report researching the architectural and historical
narrative of the building and documenting the current physical state.

Remembering Dr. Ken Yoss (1926 - 2012) by Grant J. Miller

Illinois Homecoming 2012 Public Open House - The Friends of the Observatory, University of Illinois Astronomical Society, and the Department of Astronomy will be hosting a public open house at the Campus Observatory on Friday, October 26th at 8pm (weather permitting), following the Homecoming Parade and Pep Rally! Come out and see the stars before cheering the Illini on to victory!

Fundraising campaign
under way to repair UI Observatory - Friends of the UI Observatory, a group formed to renovate the
aging campus landmark, is hoping to solicit donations from alumni by reminding
them of their connection with the 1896 building, still used for lab work for
basic astronomy classes. The brick-and-mortar building surrounding the original
15-foot-tall 12-inch refracting telescope is starting to crumble as a result of
time and water damage.

'Illinois - Where
Astronomical Photometry Grew Up' - An article on the development of photoelectric photometry at the
University of Illinois written by Illinois alumnus Dr. Michael Svec (1988) and
Barry Beaman will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the
American Association of Variable Star Observers. This paper traces the history
of the career of Dr. Joel Stebbins, an astronomy instructor and Director of the
University of Illinois Observatory, and his development of photoelectric
photometry from 1903 to 1922